TIGER [leopard] was returning home
from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of Ram. Now,
Tiger had never seen Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively,
he said, "Good day, friend! What may your name be?"

The other in his gruff voice, and striking his breast
with his forefoot, said, "I am Ram. Who are you?"

"Tiger, "answered the other, more dead than
alive, and then, taking leave of Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.

Jackal lived at the same place as Tiger did, and the latter
going to him, said, "Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and
am half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible looking fellow,
with a large and thick head, and on my asking him what his name was, he
answered, "I am Ram."

"What a foolish fellow you are, "cried Jackal,
"to let such a nice piece of flesh stand! Why did you do so? But
we shall go to-morrow and eat it together."

Next day the two set off for the kraal of Ram, and as
they appeared over a hill, Ram, who had turned out to look about him,
and was calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw
them, and he immediately went to his wife and said, "I fear this
is our last day, for Jackal and Tiger are both coming against us. What
shall we do?"

"Don't be afraid," said the wife, "but
take up the child in your arms, go out with it, and pinch it to make it
cry as if it were hungry." Ram did so as the confederates came on.

No sooner did Tiger cast his eyes on Ram than fear again
took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. Jackal had provided
against this, and made Tiger fast to himself with a leathern thong, and
said, "Come on, "when Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching
his child at the same time, "You have done well, Friend Jackal, to
have brought us Tiger to eat, for you hear how my child is crying for
food."

On these dreadful words Tiger, notwithstanding the entreaties
of Jackal to let him go, to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm,
dragayed Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over
rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself
and half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so Ram escaped.